As defined in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) specification, an S1 interface can serve as an interface between an eNodeB and a mobility management entity (MME) in an E-UTRAN system. Generally, the eNodeB must initialize a protocol layer between the MME and the eNodeB by sending an S1 setup request message to the MME. Before the S1 setup request message is sent, however, a Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) protocol is initialized by the eNodeB through the establishment of an SCTP Association (a transport network layer (TNL) association) between the nodes. In this way, many eNodeBs (e.g., on the order of thousands) can connect to a single MME. In normal operation, each eNodeB will attempt to connect to the MME at a different time.
A problem can arise when an already-established interface between the eNodeBs and an MME becomes interrupted. This can happen for a variety of reasons, including hardware or software failure at the MME, unexpected loss of power, etc. When the interruption occurs, all of the eNodeBs previously connected to the MME will attempt to re-establish the interface. This can result in excessive signaling load, which has a detrimental impact on network performance.
Thus, there exists a need for a method and system for reducing signaling load when, for example, an interruption occurs.